1. Modeling the Model The Semantics of the CCSM4 Sea Ice Model Tetherless World Constellation Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

2. The Semantic Sea Ice Interoperability Initiative - (Ψ) A collaborative project funded by the NSF working to improve semantic interoperability of Arctic data Creating sea ice ontologies incorporating scientific knowledge and some elements of traditional knowledge and linked data Working to create a community of semantic practitioners in the Arctic Seeking to establish Arctic interoperability in regional and global data systems (e.g. GEOSS, WIS, SAON) PIs:Mark Parsons, Ruth Duerr, Siri Jodha Singh Khalsa (NSIDC) Peter Fox, Deborah McGuinness (RPI)

3. Status 1 st workshop held with representatives of operational and research communities Use cases explored at the workshop: Shipping forecast Albedo parameterization Looking at applications of these ontologies: NSIDC SIGRID3 data available as linked data Auto-conversion between chart variants Second workshop planned for October 2012 Focus on shipping Will include LTK

4. SW Radiation in Sea Ice The Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE) by Hunke et al. used in Community Climate System Model (CCSM4) Key features are explicit treatment of SW radiation in ice, snow cover and melt ponds Includes subgrid ice thickness distribution and elastic- viscous-plastic dynamics

6. There can be 5 different categories of ice thickness, plus open water, in each grid cell. Each category can have a mix of 3 possible surface types, shown below. Ice layer 4 Ice layer 3 Ice layer 2 Ice layer 1 Ice SSL snow Snow SSL Ice layer 4 Ice layer 3 Ice layer 2 Ice layer 1 Ice SSL Ice layer 4 Ice layer 3 Ice layer 2 Ice layer 1 Ice SSL Pond fsfs fifi fpfp ++= 1 CICE in CCSM4

7. Modeling the Model Semantically representing CICE will depict:  Modeled processes (ice thickness change, ridging and rafting, melt pond formation, and reflectance, absorption and transmission of SW radiation by the ice pack)  The observations upon which model parameters are based  The observations that can be used to validate the model The ontology will serve as a bridge between the operational, research and modeling communities looking at changing sea ice characteristics and polar climate interactions

8. Concept Map of CICE

9. Resources/Comments SSIII public website at http://nsidc.org/ssiii/http://nsidc.org/ssiii/ Ontology source files are available at http://code.google.com/p/ssiii/http://code.google.com/p/ssiii/ The SSIII Ontology Browser at http://nsidc.org/ssiii/ontology-view.htmlhttp://nsidc.org/ssiii/ontology-view.html Discussion group at https://nsidc.org/mailman/listinfo/ssiii_devhttps://nsidc.org/mailman/listinfo/ssiii_dev 12th International Ice Chart Working Group (IICWG) Meeting British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, U.K., October 17-21, 2011 Comments? SiriJodha is reachable at sjsk@nsidc.org or via phone at 303-492-1445 sjsk@nsidc.org